It is well known that herbs and spices are difficult to disperse in certain fluid food products, such as viscous sauces. U.S. Pat. No. 5,130,156 to Bergquist, et al. describes a method for agglomerating powdered food products to increase their dispersability. As discussed in the Bergquist, et al. patent, many spray dried food powders do not disperse readily in water. They may also be dusty and not very free-flowing. Agglomeration of dried food powders is a means for giving the product good dispersing and dispensing properties. The Bergquist, et al. patent describes a method for agglomerating food powders.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,957,771 to Prater, et al. describes a porous aggregated form of dehydrated garlic and onion powders. The aggregated form of the garlic and onion powder improves the flavoring effect of the dehydrated powder and facilitates even distribution of the dehydrated powder in food.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a method for improving the dispersability and hydration of herbs and spices.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a herb and/or spice blend with improved dispersion and hydration characteristics for the addition to viscous sauces, such as a cheese sauce.